The Croatia players England should look out for

By Noel Sliney BBC Sport senior journalist Published 4 hours ago The durable core of Croatia's side continues to defy the ageing process. Their third place at the 2022 World Cup followed on from being runners-up four years earlier. Six players remain from the 2018 tournament, in which they beat England in the semi-finals, with the majority of the regular midfielders and forwards now well into their 30s. Ranked 11th in the world, Croatia will once more provide a stern test for England in Wednesday's Group L opener. BBC Sport takes a look at five key players England need to watch out for. Get in touch Send us your questions Contact form Contact form Luka Vuskovic Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Teenager Luka Vuskovic excelled on loan at Hamburg in 2025-26 Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age: 19 Position: Defender Caps: 5 Goals: 1 The 6ft 4in teenager greatly enhanced his reputation on loan in Germany in 2025-26 as promoted Hamburg finished 13th. Vuskovic was shortlisted for both the Bundesliga player of the season and rookie of the season awards, as voted for by fans, clubs and selected media. He could be the main beneficiary if Croatia play with a three-man defence - his four starts for his country prior to the World Cup all came in the middle of a back three and he scored in the March friendly win over Colombia. Head coach Zlatko Dalic said in April that Vuskovic "will be one of the pillars of our national team for the next 10 years". Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Croatia Published 5 June Get football news sent straight to your phone Published 8 June Josko Gvardiol Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Josko Gvardiol has missed four months of the season through injury Club: Manchester City Age: 24 Position: Defender Caps: 48 Goals: 4 Gvardiol only returned on 13 May after a four-month absence caused by a fractured shinbone in his right leg during a Premier League draw against Chelsea. He started all 14 of Croatia's games across the past three major tournaments, with their opening Euro 2020 defeat by England marking his first start for the national side. It made him Croatia's youngest ever player in a major tournament, aged 19. Gvardiol was hailed as "the best centre-back in the world" by Croatia's head coach Zlatko Dalic during the 2022 World Cup. He played every minute for Croatia in Qatar and gave them the lead with a diving header in the third-place play-off victory over Morocco. He will likely play in central defence if Croatia opt for a back three or else at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Luka Modric Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Luka Modric scored in a friendly win over Slovenia earlier this month Club: AC Milan Age: 40 Position: Midfielder Caps: 198 Goals: 29 Croatia's captain and talisman has recovered from a fractured cheekbone on 26 April to stay on course for his 200th cap this summer. Fifa only recognises three male players with more appearances for their country: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, B